Improved boot-jack



'ArENr Einen.

JONATHAN VHEELER, OF ATHOL, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED BOOT-JACK.

Specification.forming pari' of Letters Patent No. 118,122, dated June (i, R565.

T0 all 20700172/ it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, JONATHAN WHEELER, of Athol, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boot-Jacks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification', in which- Figure l is a side View of a boot-jack made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the bent line x of Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in a peculiar mode of constructing boot-jacks, by which they are simplified in construction and operation.

A designates a fixed platform which sustains the operative parts, and to which they are attached.

B is a vibrating platform supported upon pivot-pins C O, which rest in standards rising from the fixed platform. The inner end of the movable platform has a downward proj ection, c, which comes in contact with the platform below, and. thus stops or limits the downward motion of the movable platform. The projection e also serves to load that end of the platform andimake it the heaviest.

D D are curved jaws, which, when their inner edges are brought together, form a shape like to a horseshoe. Each has an arm, a, proj ecting from its inner edge. The arms a pass each other, and their outer ends are pivoted to standards b b, rising from the sides of the inner end of the fixed platform. Slots d d are cut in the edges of the movable platform to receive the arms a of the jaws, which arms rest in and are supported by'the bottoms of said slots. i

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: When one has placed the heel of the boot to be drawn off his foot between the jaws D D, he brings the toe of his other foot down upon the movable platform and raises its inner end against the under side-of the arms a, which are thereby raised, and their upper ends and the jaws to which they are connected are brought together. This operation causes the heel of the boot to be clamp-ed between the said jaws, when the foot may be drawn out of the boot. The platform B being then released, its inner end falls down by its own Weight and allows the jaws to fall open, ready for another operation.

It will be observed that this boot-j ack is extremely simple in its construction, and its parts are not liable to become displaced or put out of order by use.

I disclaim the invention claimed by Henry D. Degraw in his patent of February 22, 1859.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The boot-jack herein described, consisting of the Xed platform A, vibrating platform B, supported upon pivot-pins O C, and provided with a projection, c, curved jaws D D, approaching each other longitudinally, arms aa, standards b I), and slots d d, the whole co11- structed and arranged as set forth.

JONATHAN VHEELER.

Vitnesses:

F. F. FAY, H. A. STEARNs. 

